recently become operational. Maybe it
could help--he'd see what he could work out, he told me.

Now in the military all commitments to do something carry an almost
standard time factor. "I'll expedite it," means nothing will happen
for at least two weeks. "I'll do it right away," means from a month
to six weeks. An answer like, "I'll see what I can work out,"
requires writing a memo that explains what the person was going to
see if he could work out and sealing it in a time capsule for
preservation so that when the answer finally does come through the
future generation that receives it will know how it all started. But
I underestimated the efficiency of the Air Defense Command. Inside of
two weeks General Burgess had called General Garland, they'd
discussed the problem, and I was back in Colorado Springs setting up
a program with Colonel White's 4602nd.

The 4602nd's primary function is to interrogate captured enemy
airmen during wartime; in peacetime all that they can do is
participate in simulated problems. Investigating UFO reports would
supplement these problems and add a factor of realism that would be
invaluable in their training. The 4602nd had field teams spread out
all over the United States, and these teams could travel anywhere by
airplane, helicopter, canoe, jeep, or skis on a minute's notice. The
field teams had already established a working contact with the
highway patrols, sheriffs' offices, police, and the other military in
their respective areas, so they were in an excellent position to
collect facts about a UFO report. Each member of the field teams had
been especially chosen and trained in the art of interrogation, and
each team had a technical specialist. We couldn't have asked for a
better ally.

Project Blue Book was once more back in business. Until the formal
paper work went through, our plan was that whenever a UFO report
worth investigating came in we would call the 4602nd and they would
get a team out right away. The team would make a thorough
investigation and wire us their report. If the answer came back
"Unknown," we would study the details of the sighting and, with the
help of Project Bear, try to find the answer.

A few weeks after the final plans had been made with the 4602nd, I
again bade farewell to Project Blue Book. In a simple ceremony on the
poop deck of one of the flying saucers that I frequently have been
accused of capturing, before a formation of the three-foot-tall green